


It's Just Another Day, FFS!

by Esther_Summerson



Series: Just looking for someone to burn with me [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Women, Birthday, Burns, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I'm Bad At Tagging, Loss of Parent(s), Mission Related, Tattoos, Team as Family, Teamwork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-22
Updated: 2016-03-22
Packaged: 2018-05-25 09:47:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6189709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Esther_Summerson/pseuds/Esther_Summerson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jess stopped celebrating her birthday a long long time ago, but even her plans for a quiet day spent with her girlfriend are too ostentatious for the Universe to not try and cock up for her. Ah well, the life of a SHIELD agent huh?!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Being woken by a call to assemble at 5.30am on a Saturday may seem bad enough, but on your birthday it's so much worse. All she had wanted was to be allowed to spend the day in bed, not get up til late, maybe spend some time cuddling with Tasha. And yet, here she was, tying her long black hair up in a complicated plait to keep it out of her way, as she stumbled up to the landing pad to board the Quinjet.  
"Morning Jess," Steve called as she stowed the pack containing her weapons under her seat.  
"Are you sure it's morning Cap? I'm pretty sure that you can't use that term til the sun has actually risen above the horizon." She snarked back, settling herself back in her seat and closing her eyes.  
"You can ignore her Steve, she's always this grumpy before coffee aren't you душенька?" Natasha said, appearing as if from out of nowhere with two steaming containers of coffee.  
"Mmm, Tasha. You know you're my hero right?" Jess murmured appreciatively as Natasha handed over a coffee and planted a kiss on Jess's temple which she received with a soft sigh. Taking a slurp of the restoring brew, she smiled at the woman sitting next to her before looking over to where the good Captain was chuckling at their antics. "And she's absolutely right Steve, I'm unbearable before coffee, sorry for the early morning sarcasm."  
"No problem Jess, I know exactly what you mean." He replied, looking meaningfully over at Bucky who was grumbling into an overhead locker, whilst trying to tie back his own unruly locks. "So we're just waiting on Clint and then we can get going."  
"And here he comes to save the day!" Clint sang as he trotted up the ramp, his bow and quiver slung across his shoulders. "If the gang's all here, then let's get this show on the road."  
"Damnit, is he always this perky first thing in the morning?" Jess asked, taking another large gulp of coffee and hoping that the caffeine would kick in soon enough for her to cope with Hawkeye and his chipperness.  
"Sadly yes," Natasha answered turning to face her girlfriend. "I've found the easiest method to cope is just to throw things at his head before you become completely overwhelmed by his lil miss sunshine attitude."  
"Hey!" Clint yelled, looking at where the two ladies sat conspiring together. "I resent that, just because you're all glass half empty doesn't mean that I have to be punished."  
He found himself having to duck quickly as an empty coffee cup was thrown at his head.  
"Ok, if we can just get our mind on the task at hand?" Steve called out, playing papa bear to the group as usual. Everyone quietened down as they waited for the briefing to start. "We've had reports of activity at a decommissioned SHIELD base, we're going in to make sure that everything has been cleared out and locked down as it should be and to ensure that whoever's been nosing around knows that they're no longer welcome."  
"Sounds good to me Cap, where do you want us?" Jess asked, reaching down to her pack to start pulling out weapons and strapping them into place on her battlesuit.  
"Bucky and Clint, you are going to be our eyes up high. There are three entrances to the building and the rest of us will take one apiece. Jess, I need you to make your way here to the main lab and make sure that there is no data left on the computers there, no samples left in storage." Steve instructed, motioning to the holographic display in front of him to indicate which direction she was to take. "Nat, I need you to make your way to the security hub and check out the footage of the last three months, see if we can't find our intruders on camera."  
"Do we know if anyone is there at the moment Steve?" Bucky called out from where he was attaching the barrel to his sniper rifle.  
"We have live thermal images showing that the building is currently empty. But until we know who has been there and why we can't be sure that they wont come back. That's why I want you stationed here Clint, this is the only access road and this corner of the roof will give you the perfect vantage point so you can let us know if we're expecting any uninvited guests."  
He looked over to Clint who nodded his understanding and went back to checking his quiver.  
"Once the base is secured we can call in the local SHIELD unit to close it up tight so we don't have to come back and do this again next week. JARVIS what's our ETA?" Steve called out to the AI who was currently piloting the ship.  
"Just under 10 minutes Captain."  
"So we all clear on our roles here?" Steve asked.  
Jess stood up and slid a pair of Sig Sauer P229 pistols into the holsters nestled in the small of her back, grinning dangerously at the good captain where he stood looking at the team.  
"I think we've got this covered Cap, what do you think baby? We good?" Jess asked, turning and looking down at Tasha who was looking up at her with an indulgent smile on her face.  
"Yeah, we're good." She replied. "Don't worry Steve, we'll be in, out and home before you know it."  
"I'm sure, just everyone be on their guard, we've no idea what surprises might have been left for us in there." Steve replied in his best Captain America voice, the one that dared you to disagree.  
"Jeez Steve we've got it," Bucky said as he came over to rest a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. "Everyone's to look both ways before they cross the road. Quit worrying punk." This last sentence was uttered in a whisper meant only for his boyfriend.  
Natasha had gone to stand over with Jess at the Quinjet's access ramp. The redhead stood and tugged gently on the various straps and holsters wrapped around her girlfriend's body.  
"Tasha, sweetheart stop fussing. I've got this all sorted." Jess said, taking her girlfriend's hands away from her weapons and resting them on her waist instead.  
"I know душенька, I know. You know how I like to be sure that you've got everything." Came the reply as Natasha leaned in to rest her forehead against Jess'.  
"Baby," Jess said lifting her mouth to press a quick kiss to Natasha's lips. "I've got all my usuals, pistols, knives, spare mags and the staff that Tony made for me after watching us spar."  
"The one using the widow's bite tech?" Natasha asked, taking the opportunity to pull her girlfriend in a bit closer.  
"That's the one, he wanted it tested in the field and now's as good a chance as any." Jess replied, wrapping her arms around the Widow's small frame.  
"The first sign that it's fritzing you drop it and forget it you hear me? We know your pistols are reliable, god knows whether that piece of Stark tech is gonna cope with a field test."  
"Yes baby, I promise. I'll be good Tasha, honestly." Jess said gazing into Natasha's eyes with something akin to love.  
"Not too good," came the reply as Natasha surged up and kissed her girlfriend, a quick press of lips which quickly turned hotter, dirtier (and which the rest of the team had the decency to turn away and pretend not to notice.)  
"Just coming around for a landing Captain Rogers," JARVIS' voice said, echoing through the jet as various last minute checks were made on weapons and uniforms by the team within.  
"Comms stay open at all times, and let's keep the chatter to a minimum." Steve called out as everyone jogged down the ramp to take up their various positions.

Jess made her way to the loading bay doors at the rear of the base, hugging the wall as she moved so as to minimise the risk of being seen by any 'watchers on the wall'. The tarmacked road showed no signs of recent use, nor did the access door show any signs of having been forced, in fact the numeric code pad looked to be standard SHIELD issue and was intact. Jess entered the override code and pushed through the door into the loading bay, blinking in surprise when the lights came on automatically.  
"Cap, I've gained entry through the loading bay. Automatic lighting is still active, it's gonna be hard to hide our locations should we turn out to have company." Jess said into her comm.  
"Heard and understood, we'll have to rely on being alone for the time being. Keep me updated on your progress." Steve replied quickly.  
Jess headed towards the door in the far wall which according to Steve's earlier briefing would take her to the stairwell, taking care to observe her surroundings for anything untoward she approached the door and paused checking out the frame for any signs that it had been tampered with. Seeing nothing she carefully pushed the door inwards, and staying low she crept through the narrow opening. The stairwell looked like any other in an industrial building, walls painted white with large numerals marking each floor. She took one of her holstered pistols in her left hand, and hugging the wall once again Jess made her way up to the first floor where the storage and data facilities were located for the labs.  
As soon as she reached the floor she noticed a change, this floor also had a security access panel but this one had been smashed allowing the door to be opened without the proper authority.  
"Cap, I've got signs of a breach at the first floor stairwell entrance to the labs." Jess said into her comm device. Looking up to where the camera was located she noted that this had also been tampered with. "Nat, where are you?"  
"Just logging into the security systems up here, what's up Jess?"  
"The camera located at the stairwell access to the labs on the first floor has been deactivated, it looks like if you're going to get a decent image you're going to have to go back quite a way." Jess replied, pushing the door open and staying low.  
"I'll see if there's a systems diagnostic showing when the damage occurred, thanks Jess. Be careful now."  
"Always," Jess replied moving into the corridor. Seeing how the lights came on after she entered Jess knew that no one had been down this way in at least 20 minutes and so stood to head towards the data storage area. She didn't make it that far before her attention was caught by a loud humming noise coming from the main lab. Keeping her gun raised she made her way along to the closed door before looking in through the porthole style window.  
"Holy shit!"  
"Jess? Report." Steve's voice came thundering down the comm.  
"I think I've discovered who's been using the base Cap, and sadly it's not the local teenagers after a better make-out spot." Jess replied, holstering her gun as she noticed that the door had been wired. "There's some kind of electronic device wired in to the lock, whether it's to disable anyone who attempts an unauthorised entry or sets off an alarm I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure that I can disarm it. Just gimme a sec."  
Jess removed the toolkit which was strapped to her outer thigh and removed a small electronic screwdriver, removing the cover to the access panel was simple and allowed her to get a look at what kind of system she was dealing with.  
"Ok, it's set up to send an alarm to a receiver within 20 miles from the look of the transmitter."  
"Can you disable it?" Came Cap's reply.  
"I can't disable it, as that would only set off the alarm automatically. What I can do is wire the circuit into a loop so that it never even realises that it has been broken," Jess replied huffing gently as she gently pulled the wires out. "Ok, and we're done. The room appears deserted Cap, I'm gonna make entry now."  
Jess carefully turned the handle on the door and walked into one of the largest hydroponic set-ups she had ever seen.  
"If I'm not mistaken Cap, it looks like someone has discovered how to grow coca plants hydroponically, and decided to use our tidy SHIELD lab as their base of operations."  
"What?!"  
"Yeah, fancy schmancy drug dealers have set up home in our base Steve. I'm not entirely happy with that, although I must confess myself as being slightly impressed as I didn't think you could grow the plants outside of South America." Jess replied, walking down the row of plants. "How do you want to proceed?"  
"Any chance you can disrupt the system, switch it off or something?"  
"I can indeed, there's a computer terminal up ahead let me see what I can do."  
"On another note Cap," Clint's voice came crackling across the comm. "We've got incoming, I've got one large wagon heading up the road towards the loading bay, it looks to be converted from an Army troop carrier, and yeah it's full of large men with the heavy weaponry."  
"Ok, Tash I need you to finish downloading the security tapes they'll be needed as evidence for the locals. Jess how you doing up there?" Steve asked.  
"I've disrupted the water supply, so it shouldn't take long for these babies to shrivel and die without their main source of nutrients. Where do you need me?"  
"Clint, what's the status on our visitors?"  
"Three have entered the loading bay and the other eight have split into two teams and are making their way to the other entrances."  
"Jess, make your way back to the loading bay. There are three gentlemen there waiting to make your acquaintance." Steve called down the comm, the background noise indicating that he was on the move. "I'll take the others closest to Nat, and once the download has finished we can sort out the others as we find them."  
"Received and understood, on my way Cap." Jess replied, picking up her gun from where she had left it on top of the computer console and making her way to the door. Moving down the corridor, she noticed movement up ahead at the stairwell door and ducked down behind an abandoned filing cabinet. Leaning out she tracked the movements of the lone target as he cautiously made his way up towards the lab door toting some serious hardware of the assault rifle variety. Jess pulled out the staff that Tony had made for her, and pressed the control on on the side that would extend it from it's six inch resting state to half it's five foot length, with the voltage set for stun she patiently waited for the gun toting drug dealer to walk past. As soon as he was in line with her she used the staff to sweep his feet out from under him, and pressing the 'Bite' to his neck he was incapacitated before he had realised he'd fallen. Jess stood up, and removing a couple of zip ties she bound his hands and feet before dragging him into her hiding place. Pressing the control to shrink the staff, she strapped it back to her thigh and moved over to pick up the fallen weaponry. Whistling in appreciation at the hardware she held, she quickly removed the magazine and the firing pin, dropping the latter down a trash chute nearby and dropping the now useless other pieces back to the floor.  
"Cap? These guys have some serious money behind them. They're carrying Heckler & Koch MP5 sub-machine guns, military grade." Jess said, moving off towards the stairwell, pulling her pistols out of their holsters as she went.  
"Gotcha Jess, just engaging the hostiles at the east entrance now." Steve replied, the sound of gunfire unmistakable as it came through on the comm.  
Jess eased the door to the stairwell open, and clearing it in both directions for more of the armed attackers she made her way down to the ground floor and knelt down inside the door to the loading bay.  
"JARVIS? Can you do an infra-red scan and let me know the number and position of hostiles in the next room please?" Jess whispered into her comm.  
"There are two targets just inside the loading bay doors Agent, with two more stationed by their vehicle outside." Came the immediate reply.  
"Thanks J. Hey Hawkguy, what's with the miscount? I've got two more hostiles than I ought to have."  
"Sorry Jess, the two in the front of the van decided to come out and play. Give me thirty seconds and I'll get that sorted for you." Clint replied.  
"Yeah yeah," she whispered snarkily. Jess stood up and softly pushed the door to the loading bay open, seeing the two men were facing the opposite direction she made her way into the open area and took up position behind some packing crates. The two men inside the door were carrying handguns, but there was no cover between her and them. She was going to have to make a run for it when the opportunity arose. Waiting until they were scanning the upper gantry over the entrance, she ran silently out from her hiding position. Pulling the high tech Bo staff from her hip and extending it to it's full length as she made her way towards them. She swept the legs out from under the first target, and took the second one out with a hit of a few thousand volts from the 'Bite'. As she watched him crumple to the ground, she missed the other man sweeping his leg round and he knocked her off her feet. Dropping the 'Widow's Bite' staff to the ground, she used the momentum of the fall to flip back over and onto her feet. Drawing her pistol without thinking she shot the man in the shoulder as he raised his own weapon to fire. He dropped the gun and Jess kicked him in the chin, hard enough to knock him out.  
"Some idiots just don't know when to stay down." She said under her breath before grabbing some more zip ties and using them to bind the hands and feet of the two. "Hey Hawkeye, what's the sitch?"  
"Two down and out for the count Jess, heading down to help with the clean up."  
"Hey Cap, we've cleaned the rats out of the loading bay do you need us back inside?" Jess said, speaking into her comm device as she finished off zip tying the two men before bending to retrieve and shrink her staff.  
"No thanks Jess, Nat and I are just tying up some loose ends here. The local cops are on their way, and SHIELD agents are inbound for the site clean-up and lockdown just as soon as they're cleared to do so. Meet you at the loading bay."  
"Aye aye Cap," Jess replied. Standing she did a quick stretch to check for injury, and apart from what felt like a bruise from her unscheduled tumble growing on her left shoulder all seemed to be in order. "Hey Bucky, you coming down to join the gang?"  
"What, now that you guys have had all the fun you mean?" He replied, huffing out a laugh. "Yeah I'm on my way down now doll, see you in a few."  
The door from the stairwell behind Jess opened suddenly, and she swung around towards the source of the noise, her gun raised and ready to fire. As soon as she recognised the flash of red hair on top of a deliciously curvy body, she lowered the weapon and walked over to where Natasha was standing, her hands still raised in mock surrender.  
"Sorry Baby, did not know that was you." Jess said as she moved to take her girlfriend in her arms.  
"It's fine душенька, most of your welcomes are much warmer and involve less fire power." Natasha replied, holding Jess out at arms length to look her over. "You ok? A trip to medical required?"  
"Not this time, nothing that a soak in a tub of hot water with a beautiful woman won't cure anyway." Jess said, smiling as she looked down into Natasha's eyes.  
"Hmmm," Nat replied, pulling Jess in closer to her embrace. "Anyone specific in mind?"  
"Only one beautiful woman on my mind Baby," Jess whispered back, placing a kiss on her girlfriend's hairline before slowly breaking apart as the rest of the gang approached.  
"Anyone need medical or we all good Cap?" Jess called out, eyeing the rest of the team for any signs of injury.  
"Nothing more than a few bumps and bruises Jess, I'm pretty sure an evening spent in front of the tv should sort us out." Steve replied with a small smile. "You ok?"  
"Yep, nothing to report other than I'm gonna owe Tony a drink. This staff he's made for me is brilliant!" Jess raved, settling her hand against the tech where it rested on her thigh.  
"Well go easy on him, I'm pretty sure that his ego needs no more inflating. Anyway, Clint has offered to stay behind and liaise with SHIELD and the local cops, so long as you've got your reports filed the rest of the days is ours." Steve said. "So as soon as the back-up arrives we can get out of here, sound good?"  
"Sounds good to me, if you guys are ok here I'm gonna go back to the jet and get that report filed?"  
"No worries Jess, we'll keep an eye on the bad guys, let JARVIS know that we'll be leaving soon?" Steve replied, turning to look out at the access road as the sound of sirens approached. "Sounds as though it won't be too long before we join you anyway."  
Jess flipped him a quick salute before spinning on her heel and making her way to the clearing in the woods where JARVIS had landed the Quinjet after they had disembarked.  
"Hey Jess, hold up." Nat called out from behind her. Jess stopped and turned towards the sound of her voice and smiled as the athletic redhead caught up with her. "You ok душенька? I know that today is always hard for you."  
"I'm fine Tasha," Jess replied reaching out to take Nat's hand and place a kiss on her knuckles. "I'm not gonna lie and say that I didn't hope this day would start off differently, but I'm sure you and I can salvage it once we get home."  
"I believe there was mention of a hot bath with some congenial company, I'm pretty sure we can manage that душенька." Nat said as she pulled her girlfriend in for a tight hug.  
"Sounds perfect, I'll see you back at the jet ok? I just need a breather baby, I'm sorry." Jess replied, whispering into Nat's hair.  
"I understand, and you've nothing to be sorry for alright?" Nat said, pulling back so she could look into her girlfriend's eyes. "Take what you need and I will see you in a few."  
And with a quick squeeze to Jess' hands she walked back to where the group of law enforcement officers were being briefed by Clint.  
Jess turned and continued her journey back to the jet, slowing her breathing as she walked. "It's just a birthday," she thought to herself. "It's just my birthday and it's nearly done with. Soon I'll be lying in a tub of hot water washing Tasha's back and it'll all be ok." She tried to hold back the tide of memories that threatened to overwhelm her, but for an instant she was once again engulfed in flame and noise, pain flashing over her back and stealing her breath.  
"Get it together Jess," she told herself as she walked up the ramp to the inside of the jet. "Just another hour or so and you can fall apart and Tasha can help you pick up the pieces again."  



	2. Chapter 2

Reports having been filed whilst in flight, as soon as the jet landed everyone separated to continue on with their usual Saturday plans. Jess and Natasha said their goodbyes to the group as they stepped out of the elevator on Jess' floor of the tower, walking the short distance to her door hand in hand before she raised her right thumb to the scanner panel inset on the right of the door. As the lock clicked to grant them access, Natasha took the lead and opened the door gently tugging on Jess' hand to coax her through.  
"JARVIS, could you fill the tub for us please? Usual settings please." Natasha called out as she turned to her girlfriend. "Now if you've no objections, I'm going to get you out of that battle suit and settle you in a tub full of hot water душенька."  
"Sounds good to me Tasha, you going to join me?" Jess asked, managing a small smile for her girlfriend.  
"If you'd like, I'd be honoured малютка." Came the quick reply. And taking Jess' hands in both of hers Natasha walked backwards into the bathroom where JARVIS already had the tub almost half full of gently steaming water. "Come and sit here for me." Nat said, motioning to the closed lid of the toilet. As Jess silently complied, Nat bent down and started undoing the buckles on her boots before pulling them off one at a time and setting them next to the bathroom door. Standing before her, Nat took Jess' hands and pulled her upright so that she could get started on the rest of her clothes. Once Jess was standing before her, Nat tugged on the zipper on the front of her suit and lowered it before pulling it down from Jess' shoulders so that it bunched around her waist, after that it was quick work to pull the suit off completely so that Jess was left in only her sports bra and matching shortie underwear.  
"I love it when you look after me baby," Jess whispered as Nat carefully pulled her bra up and over Jess' head before making short work of her underwear.  
"Just as much as I love looking after you душенька," she replied placing the chastest of kisses against Jess' lips before turning her to take a look at the bruise on her shoulder. As ever, Nat's eyes were drawn immediately to the lace tattoo that spread across Jess' shoulders before flowing diagonally down the right hand side of her back. Where it stopped, the burn scars were still clearly visible despite years of healing, the puckered flesh covering much of Jess' lower back. Nat loved the way that Jess had chosen to place her tattoo so that it finished where the scarring on her back began, choosing not to hide the past, it was as much a part of her as the lacework tattoo and spoke volumes about the type of woman that Jess was.  
"You were right about that bruise душенька, it hasn't broken the skin but I'd guess you are going to be a little uncomfortable for a few days." Nat said, placing a kiss to her girlfriend's shoulder.  
"Small price to pay to clear up the drug-peddling scum baby," Jess replied sighing at the contact of Nat's lips. It had taken a long time for her to be comfortable with Natasha, comfortable enough to show her the scars left behind by the fire that killed her parents that is.  
"Come on, into the tub with you," Nat said as she nudged Jess towards the luxurious claw footed tub. Jess stepped in, sighing as the warm water surrounded her, removing a bone deep chill that she hadn't even been aware of. Closing her eyes she relaxed back against the ceramic as Tasha removed her own clothes and left them in the pile on top of her girlfriend's. "Scoot forward душенька." And as Jess eased herself forwards, Nat stepped in to the tub behind her, lowering herself down before pulling Jess back so that she was lying against Nat's front. Resting her arms over Jess' shoulders, Nat took a deep breath in of the wonderful aromatic scent that surrounded them in the steam of the bathroom.  
"I have been dreaming about this all day," Jess said as she nestled back against Nat's silky smooth skin. "In fact even before we were called out all I wanted was to spend the day close to you."  
"And all it took was a fairly decent ass kicking and here we are душенька," Nat joked. "Seriously though, you doing ok?"  
"Better now baby," Jess whispered as she leaned her head up to place a kiss on Nat's jaw. "It's easier to deal with any other day, the anniversary is just somehow more real, like it's closer to me somehow. All the pain and horror, the heat."  
"I've got you душенька, you're safe now." Nat said as she tightened her hold around Jess' shoulders as the tension in Jess' muscles increased, kissing her temple she just held her girlfriend close as the memories swept her up once again. Jess sobbed as she remembered the fire that took her parents life. The fire that had started accidentally on the night of her birthday. The fire that had left her scarred, emotionally by the loss of her parents and physically with a reminder that covered her lower back. The fire which had ruined for her any chance of a happy birthday in the future, and left her unable to celebrate as the need to mourn their deaths outweighed the desire to celebrate another year passing.  
"Why is it still so hard Tasha? Why do I miss them so much?" Jess sobbed out.  
"It is a sign of the love that you felt for them, of the love they felt for you душенька. If you had loved them less their sudden passing would have been easier to deal with." Nat replied, wishing that she could bear the weight of this for her. Anything to lessen the suffering of her girlfriend.  
"I'm sorry Tasha, I'm sorry that we can't celebrate my birthday like a normal couple." Jess whispered, her breathing coming back under her control.  
"Hey now, none of that. Do you still have memories of your birthdays, before they passed away I mean." Nat asked, nuzzling into Jess' hair.  
"When I was six, I was going through a huge Lone Ranger phase. So my mom and dad had a cowboys and indians themed party for me. So we were all in fancy dress, me and my entire class dressed as little cowpokes or Native Americans, obviously I was the Lone Ranger." Jess said with a small smile curving her lips. "They had even hired this white pony for us all to ride. I was in heaven."  
"Sounds beautiful душенька."  
"It was perfect Tasha, it was." Jess replied. "God I haven't thought about that in years, thank you."  
"I'm sorry that you didn't get more memories like that душенька." Nat whispered back.  
"But the thing that I have to hold onto is that I got them baby, it might have ended too soon but those memories are mine and no one can take them from me."  
"That's my girl," Nat replied with an indulgent smile. "Now come on, let's dry off and grab something to eat."  
Jess rose up from the bathtub, skin flushed from the heat of the water and stepped out onto the bathmat. Wrapping herself in a robe before grabbing a couple of towels and turning to the curvy redhead now standing by the side of the tub.  
"Come here you," Jess said taking her girlfriend by the hand and pulling her closer. Taking one of the towels she wrapped it around Nat and tucked it into place around her chest. Jess took the other towel and started to stroke it down each of Nat's arms, drying them off carefully. Kneeling at her girlfriend's feet she dried off each leg, lifting first one foot and resting it on her knee, stroking the towel up and down, gently stroking the moisture away. Lowering that foot to the floor before repeating her actions on the other leg. Placing a kiss by her right knee, Jess lowered Nat's foot before smiling up at her from her position on the floor. "I love you Tasha, I don't know what I'd do without you."  
"If I have any say in it we won't have to find out душенька, " Nat replied lowering herself to the floor before Jess and capturing her lips in the sweetest of kisses. "I love you too, and I know you don't like gifts but I've got you a little something."  
Natasha stood back up and rifled through the pockets of her battle suit, coming back to kneel opposite her girlfriend with a small jewellery box in her hand.  
"Tasha, you didn't have to get me anything." Jess said, taking the box as Nat handed it to her. Looking into her girlfriend's eyes Jess realised that she was nervous about something.  
"I know, but I wanted to. Open it." Nat replied, looking hopefully back at her girlfriend.  
Jess removed the ribbon that was holding the jewellery box closed, lifting the lid she found a key pendant suspended on a silver chain.  
"God Tasha, baby, it's gorgeous I love it!" Jess gushed, she couldn't hold back the tears that were forming as she took in the sight of her exquisite gift.  
"Here, let me put it on for you." Nat asked, standing up and taking the necklace. Jess rose and swept her long braided hair out of the way so that Nat could get the chain easily around her neck. Once the clasp was done up Nat placed a small kiss to the back of Jess' neck before moving to stand in front of her. "It has something of a symbolic meaning душенька, and comes with a question."  
"What do you mean baby?" Jess asked, wrapping her arms around Nat's waist and holding her close.  
"Well the key is symbolic because my apartment door doesn't have a traditional lock on it," Nat replied choosing her words carefully. "And I was hoping that you would like to move in with me душенька?"  
"Tasha," Jess gasped out.  
"I don't need your answer right now, I just want you to think about it. I love you душенька, I want to make a home with you." Nat said.  
"Baby look at me," Jess said leaning backwards slightly so that she could meet her girlfriend's eyes. "I don't need time to think. My answer is yes, I would love to move in with you."  
Nat smiled then, an expression of such joy that Jess was temporarily blinded by it. Lowering her head, she captured Nat's lips in the sweetest of caresses as the full meaning of what had just happened overwhelmed her. They were moving in together, she was going to have a home again. Jess knew that Nat needed this as much if not more than she did, and she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that her baby had a proper home. A refuge for them both when the world outside became too much for them to bear.  
"This is a definite cause to celebrate, but I figure we can tell the team tomorrow? Right now I want you all to myself." Jess said, resting her forehead against Nat's as she caught her breath.  
"We don't have to if you don't want to, I would understand if it's too much today." Came Natasha's gentle reply.  
"Before today I only had reasons to mourn, you've given me a reason to celebrate." Jess said earnestly. "I'm not saying that I won't miss them, or mourn them in the future. But you've given something more baby, something to look forward to, something to hope for. And for that we need to celebrate."  
"We'll tell the guys tomorrow душенька, Tony will no doubt want to thrown us a party," Nat said with a rueful smile. "Right now, we have champagne and chocolate truffles in the fridge and I want you in your comfiest pjs with your ass on that couch."  
"Mmm, I love our celebrations baby." Jess replied, nuzzling gently at Natasha's neck as she breathed in the scent that was unique to the red haired Avenger.  
"Me too душенька. The time for glamorous parties will come, right now it's just you and me and the start of a new chapter together." Nat said as she lifted her mouth to Jess's for another kiss.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> малютка - Little one in Russian
> 
> I am fortunate to have both of my parents still with me, but Jess's feelings in this story are based on my experiences of losing a beloved Grandfather. Somehow thoughout the rest of the year, I can remember his laugh, or the sound of his voice and it makes me smile. But on the anniversary of his death I am simply reminded of how the world is worse off without him in it, he was the kindest, noblest man and was generous to a fault. The world is worse off for his absence from it.

**Author's Note:**

> душенька - Darling (noun) blame Google translate for any fuck-ups


End file.
